Trolley-pole base.



No. 736,942. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

A. D. GROSSLEY.

TROLLEY POLE BASE.

APPLICATION-TILED MAR. 4, 1903- NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES iatented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT D. CROSSLEY, OF SOUTH NORYVALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OFFORTY-NINE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO JAMES H. CROSSLEY, OF BRIDGE- PORT,CONNECTICUT. V

TRO LLEY-PO LE BASE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 736,942, dated August25, 1903.

Application tiled March 4, 1903. $eria1No. 146,067. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. CROSSLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at South Norwalk, county ofFairfield, State of Con- 5 necticut, have invented a new and usefulTrolley-Pole Base, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolley-pole bases,

and has for its object to simplify and cheapen their construction, togreatly improve their general operation, to reduce the cost ofmaintenance, and to avoid waste of current, as it is rendered impossibleto charge either the base or the pole.

: With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainconstructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations,which will be hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out inthe claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of my novel trolley-pole base as in use; Fig. 2, aplan view corresponding there-' with; and Fig. 3 is a view, partly inelevation and partly in section, from a point of view at right angles toFig. 1, the pole and connections to the base being omitted.

10 denotes the body, which is adapted for 0 attachment to a car; 11, thelower contactplate; 12, the upper contact-plate, and 13 the top plate.The body and top plate are made of iron and the two contact-plates ofcopper or high-grade bronze.

14 denotes a central opening extending through the body, bothcontactplates, and the top plate. The top plate and contactplates aresecured to the body in such a manner as to leave the upper contact-plateand 0 the top plate free to rotate upon the lower contact-plate, as bymeans of a bolt 15, extending through an insulating-sleeve 16 in thecentral opening. This bolt is engaged above the top plate by a nut 17,an insulating-washer 18 being interposed between the nut and the topplate. The lower contactplate is held against rotation on the body byany suitable connection-19, as a projection upon one part and acorresponding recess in the other part. The upper contact-plate isattached to the top plate, so that the two will oscillate together, by asimilar connection 20. The upper contact-plate oscillates freely on thelower contact-plate. The entire surfaces of the two plates may bear uponeach other, or, preferably, a recess 21 is formed in the uppercontact-plate, which may be packed with graphite or other suitablelubricating material, the bearing consisting of a circular flange 22 onthe face of the upper contactplate at the edge. The lower contact-plateis provided with binding-posts 23, from which electrical connections(not shown) may extend to the motor, and the uppercontact-plate isprovided with binding-posts 24:, from which electrical connections(not-shown) may extend up through the pole to the trolley. (Not shown.)

37 denotes insulating sheets or plates interposed, respectively, betweenthe lower contact-plate and the body and the upper contact-plate and thetop plate. I thereby insure that the current received at thebindingpostsof the upper contact-plate will pass from the binding-postsof the lower contactplate to the motor without loss, neither the polenor any portion of the base except the contact-plates being in thecircuit.

An important saving is effected in the cost of maintenance, as the wearis almost entirely upon the contactplates, in which I have reducedfriction and wear to the minimum by providing the lubricating-recess 21in the upper contact-plate. When the contact-plates wear sufficiently tointerfere with their perfect operation, nut 17 may be unscrewed, whiohwill permit the top plate to be removed and either or both of thecontactplates to be removed and new ones substituted in their stead. o

25 denotes a pole the lower end of whichi firmly seated in a socket 26,which is hinged to the top plate, as at 27. The socket is provided onoppositesideswith cars 28, to which eyes 29 at the inner ends of rods 30are piv- 5 oted, as. at 31. g

32 denotes eyes which are pivoted tothe top plate, as at 33. The rodsare shown as curving outward and then as extending backward through eyes32 and through a cross-piece 34, I00

which is secured at the rear ends of the rods by nuts 35, engagingthreads upon the rear ends of the rods. Compression-springs 36,surrounding the rods, bear against the ends of the cross-piece andagainst eyes 32. It will be noted that the ears to which the rods arepivoted extend considerably above the pivotal point of the socket to thetop plate, the parts being so proportioned and arranged that thecompression of the springs will be greatest when the pole is atapproximately an angle of forty-five degrees to the plane of the base,so that the entire power of the springs will be exerted to hold thetrolley in contact with a wire, (not shown but should the trolley slipoif the wire the force exerted by the springs would grow weaker insteadof stronger as the pole swings upward from its normal positionthat is,at an angle of fortyfive degrees, more or less, to the plane of thebase. This construction prevents the pole from being thrown upward to avertical position with great violence, as when extension-springs areused.

Having thus described my invention, I claim A 1. A trolley-pole basecomprising a body, a

lower contact-plate secured thereto, an upper contact-plate adapted tooscillate on the lower contact-plate, a top plate for the attachment ofa pole which is secured to the upper contact-plate and insulationbetween the contactplates and the other parts of the base, so that inuse the contact-plates only are in the circuit.

2. A trolley-pole base comprising a body, a lower contact-plate securedthereto, an upper contact-plate adapted to oscillate on thelowercontact-plate and provided with a lubricating-recess, a top plate forthe attachment of the pole which is secured to the upper contact-plateand insulation between the contact-plates and the other parts of thebase, so that in use the contact-plates only are in the circuit.

3. A trolley-pole base comprising a body, adapted for attachment to acar, a lower contact-plate secured to the body and insulated therefrom,an upper contact-plate adapted to oscillate on the lower contact-plate,bindingposts on said contact-plates and a top plate for the attachmentof a pole which is secured to the upper contact-plate-and is insulatedtherefrom.

4. A trolley-pole'base comprising a body, a lower contact plate securedthereto, an upper contact-plate adapted to oscillate on the lowercontact plate, a top plate for the attachment of a pole which is securedto the upper contactsplate, a central opening through the base, contactplates and top plates, an insulating-sleeve in said opening,

a bolt extending through said sleeve whereby the parts are securedtogether, a nut on said bolt and insulation between the body and thelower contact-plate and between the top plate and the nut and uppercontact-plate.

5. In a trolley-pole base the combination with an oscillating top plate,eyes pivoted thereto and a pole-socket hinged thereto, of rods pivotedto the pole-socket and extending backward through the eyes, across-piece at the rear ends of the rods and compressionsprings bearingagainst the cross-piece and the eyes and acting to retain thepole-socket in the operative position.

6. In a trolley-pole base the combination with an oscillating top plate,eyes pivoted thereto and a pole-socket hinged thereto and having earsextending above the pivotal point to the base, of rods pivoted to saidears and extending backward through the eyes, a cross-piece at the rearends of the rods, and compression springs bearing against thecross-pieces and the eyes whereby the socket is normally held in theoperative position, the force exerted by the springs being reduced whenthe socket swings upward past the operative position.

7. In a trolley-pole base the combination with a body, a lowercontact-plate secured thereto, an upper contact-plate adapted tooscillate on the lower contact-plate, a top plate secured to the uppercontactplate, eyes pivoted to the top plate and insulation between thecontact-plates and the other parts of the base, of a pole-socket hingedto the top plate, rods pivoted to the pole-socket and extending backwardthrough the eyes, a cross-piece at the rear ends of the rods andcompression springs bearing against the cross piece and the eyes,substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

8. In a trolley-pole base the combination with a body, upper and lowercontact-plates and a top plate, said contact-plates being socuredrespectively to the body and the top plate, and insulation between thecontactplates andthe other parts of the base, of eyes and a pole-socketpivoted to the top plate,

ears on the pole-socket extending above the I pivotal point to the base,rods pivoted to the ears and extending backward through the eyes, across-piece at the rear ends of the rods and compression-springs bearingagainst the cross-piece and the eyes, substantially as shown, for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT D. CROSSLEY.

